


Ascension

by Zethsaire



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Dark Wolverine (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Homelessness, Insanity, M/M, Prostitution, Recreational Drug Use, Temporary Character Death, Tim as Red Hood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 15:55:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4355153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zethsaire/pseuds/Zethsaire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason and Daken get chased out of their apartment when the Red Hood and Black Mask start a territory war.  Unfortunately, their troubles are only beginning, as the Red Hood seems to have a particular interest in Daken's powers...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ascension

**Author's Note:**

> This is a DC/Marvel universe fusion, where metas and mutants are not allowed in Batman's city. Daken didn't grow up under Romulus, but ran away and ended up in Gotham instead, bonding with street kid Jason Todd.
> 
> Since Jason was with Daken instead of stealing tires off the Batmobile, Tim Drake (who's age was obviously adjusted) became the 2nd Robin, and was murdered by the Joker. He was then resurrected and took on the mantle of the Red Hood.
> 
> Warnings are mostly in the tags, but there's also some language, and neither Daken or Jason make good choices. Which really shouldn't surprise anyone.

Sleeping on a subway car is less than ideal. Daken is slouched in his seat, long legs hanging over the hard plastic and into the aisle. Jason is laying on top of him, draped across his lap, legs hanging over the handicap railing, head pillowed on his jacket and the black duffel bag that contains all their possessions. Daken is using Jason's thigh as a pillow, as lean as it is. Jason seems to be sleeping alright; he always sleeps well when Daken is there to watch his back. It's harder for Daken; the subway car stinks of too many people, and every noise startles him awake.

This is the fourth time they've ridden this train. They chose the F line, because it's the longest one, and they sleep from one end to the other, stumble off, and ride it again. Daken's back aches, but it's not like they have anywhere else to go. They abandoned their flat when the Red Hood started a territory war with the Black Mask, and people started dying. They could stay in a motel, but the motel owners in Gotham are just as likely to rob or kill them as the people at their old place. Sleeping on the street is suicide – no one sleeps on the streets of Gotham. If the gangbangers don't get you, the pimps will, and you'll be working a new job by sundown. Not to mention the numerous supervillians who call Gotham 'home,' and make life a living hell for anyone with nowhere to go. Barring all that, Batman might come by, and that's just more trouble than it's worth.

So they sleep on the subway, after it's too late to make any money working the street, and before rush hour. Daken takes their bag during the day; he's got a half dozen houses he knows are vacant at any one time, and Jason can't pick anyone up when he's dragging their crap with him. He takes a shower and cleans up at whatever shitty motel his 'client's' take him to, and they do their laundry at the laundromat. Daken breaks into wealthy people's homes; takes food, clothes, small, easily fenced valuables and usually takes a shower at the same time. Sometimes he takes afternoon naps in their beds, though he's careful about leaving evidence lying around, and he never takes anything that can't be replaced by the people who own it. Not because he feels guilty, but because it's better just to never steal anything that warrants more than the standard insurance claim.

If he's feeling especially in control, he uses his powers to charm them a free meal or bed for the night. Half the time when he tries to seduce someone, he intimidates them instead, or frightens them so badly they won't even speak to him. His powers manifested aggressively over a year ago, and he still can't control them. Not to mention that this is Gotham. Mutants and metas aren't welcome here; if he makes too big of a mess, Batman will escort him out personally. So he tries to keep his claws sheathed and doesn't use his sensory influences unless he has to.

He can't control his powers consciously, but they seem to work pretty well subconsciously. At least if he's using them to protect Jason. Like sleeping on the subway – he's pretty sure he's putting out some sort of wavelength that gets people to leave them alone. He can smell his scent, and knows it's different than when he's trying to frighten someone, or piss them off, or seduce them. It's a sort of 'we're not worth the effort' vibe, and it works well enough that they aren't bothered, and can get some sleep. Well, Jason can, anyway. Daken can't sleep on the subway.

They stumble off the subway car just as the morning commute rush is beginning. Even Daken's powers can't keep people from yelling at them if they're taking up all the handicap seating during morning commute. Jason yawns widely and stretches, ignoring the dark looks people are sending their way. As if being homeless is a crime, and they've decided to live like this. They don't even smell that badly. Daken never smells anything but pleasant thanks to his powers, unless he's been covered in something really rank, Jason just took a shower yesterday, and they're both wearing clean clothes. They're a bit rumpled from the subway car, but they're clean.

The first thing they do is get breakfast at McDonalds, because it's the cheapest place around, and you can get a large coffee for a dollar. If things are going his way, Daken can get them free refills, and they can sit in a warm booth nursing coffee for hours before anyone tries to kick them out. After that, they don't have anything to do until later when they can work, so Jason goes around to his contacts, just to make sure there's no daytime work he can do. Daken goes to watch his back, and so that if there is a job, he can go along and help. When he's not hooking, Jason will get bodyguarding work, or sometimes pull a smash and grab. Neither he or Daken really have any legal skills; Daken dropped out of high school, and Jason never went.

There isn't anything, though Jason gets them a hundred bucks doing a quickie for one of his contact's bosses. Of course, then he immediately goes to his drug dealer and blows it all on a couple lines of coke, but Daken can't really say anything. It's Jason's body, he can do what he wants. Though it would be nice if Jason could actually quit. He's tried half a dozen times, but his job makes him crave a hit like nothing else does, and he's an absolute bitch when he's going through withdrawal. Daken doesn't really see the appeal of drugs, because they've never worked on him. He still takes the cigarette Jason offers him, and they stand outside Jay's dealer's place and smoke.

They split up after lunch, Daken to stash their stuff and scope out his targets for the night; Jason to the strip club he works at when he's not working the street. They've got to find different work, and fast. Not only so they can get a place to stay, but because Jason isn't a teenager any more, and he's starting to get big and bulky, no matter how much he cuts back on his food. No one wants to hire a hooker who looks like he could wipe the floor with them in their neighborhood, and Jason's too gay to be able to do anything useful with a woman that involves more than his fingers or tongue. Daken would work the street, if he could; he'd certainly make more than Jason, but his claws have a bad habit of unsheathing when he comes, and while Jason's used to it, anyone else tends to run screaming, or on one notable occasion, suffer from unfortunate puncture wounds.

He's just broken into a place and tucked a few valuables into their bag when his pay per minute phone starts vibrating in his pocket. Jason is the only one who had his number, and he never calls unless it is an emergency. He picks it up immediately,

“Jason?”

“Aki.” He can hear the sound of gunfire and screams in the background. “You need to get here _now_.”

“What's happening? Jason?!”

“Red Hood. He's taking the place. Aki, I -” There's another gunshot, and the phone goes dead.

“Shit.  _Shit!_ ” They moved so they wouldn't be part of the gang war and now Jason might be – no. No, he wasn't going to think about that.

He moves fast, covering his tracks behind him, locking up and climbing to the top of the building and stowing his bag in a vent. It isn't the best solution, but it will have to do for now. Jason is more important than their things. Then he takes off, racing across the rooftops, pushing himself as fast as he can. Jason is the only thing he has – he can't lose him.

The strip club is in chaos when Daken arrives. Most of the workers and patrons have fled, though a few of the working boys and girls are huddled behind tables, cowering as henchmen of Black Mask and Red Hood duel it out with sub-machine guns. Daken drops down behind one of the tables next to one of the girls - Erica, he thinks her name is.

"Aki!" She squeaks.

"Where's Jason?"

"He was helping us get out. He went to the back for Jesse - he just started today - but he hasn't come back."

Of course. Jason always has to be the hero. It's gotten him in trouble more than once. "Look, the way I came in was clear. Keep your head down and get out of here."

"Thank you, Aki." She kisses him on the cheek before grabbing the hand of the girl next to her and scurrying out of the club.

Daken makes his way around the club, heading for the back, where the private rooms are. It is slow going, and even though he is being careful, a stray bullet digs into his shoulder. He snarls, his claws slicing their way out of his skin. He grips his shoulder against the pain but keeps going. Every minute it takes him to get to Jason is another minute the other man could be getting tortured or killed.

His heart leaps in his throat when he finally makes it to the back and hears sounds of conflict and Jason swearing. He bursts into the room, claws and teeth bared, expecting the worst.

Jason is brandishing a crowbar, standing over an impressive number of bodies. There is a kid behind him, wielding a broken piece of glass like a knife. The boy is wide eyed, with curly hair and make up on. Daken didn't know him personally, but he was so young it had to be Jesse, who was only fifteen. Jason had a soft spot for kids.

The guy they are facing now doesn't look like he is going to be fooled by their youth. He has his semi automatic pointed right at Jason's head, with a sneer on his face, saying something about how whores should learn their place. Daken pushes himself into the room, knocking Jason and the kid out of the way. He hears the guy's gun go off and feels a blinding pain in his forehead.

Then nothing.

xxx

Jason has always known he would live a short life. Growing up on the street, what else could he expect? He hadn't even gone to high school. Still, he really hadn't expected to go out like this - shot point blank while he tried to protect some kid with his body. That almost made him sound like a hero. He doesn't really regret it though, just regrets that he hasn't been able to bash the guy's head in like he'd done with the other ones who'd thought they'd sample the goods a little during the chaos.

And then Aki is there, out of nowhere, pushing Jason and Jesse down, out of the way, and Jason looks up just in time to see his boyfriend get shot in the head, his brains splattering on the wall behind him.

Someone is screaming, and Jason can't figure out who until he's beaten the man bloody, broken every bone in his body, broken his skull until it is shattered like Akihiro's. Then he realizes it had been him screaming, screaming for the only thing in his life that had actually meant something, that was broken and bleeding on the floor along with what is left of Jason's soul.

Jesse is gone, taking advantage of the moment to flee like the smart kid he is. Jason hopes he made it out, in the distant part of him that still gives a shit about anyone else. He drops his crowbar and goes to Akihiro's still body, pulling it into his lap, even though bits of Akihiro's skull kept coming off, and his leggings are immediately soaked in blood and other bits of his boyfriend. Jason doesn't care. He needs to hold the cooling body and give himself a moment to cry before he can get up and figure out how to kill every last motherfucker who'd been responsible for this.

The sound of heavy boots makes him look up, his vision blurry with grief. It's the Red Hood, himself. Up close he seems - smaller - than Jason was expecting. He reaches for the crowbar with one hand, cradling Aki's body with the other, and giving Hood a venomous glare. Hood raises his handgun like an afterthought, and shoots the ground between Jason's hand and the metal bar.

"I admire your tenacity, but I have a particular dislike of crowbars." Hood says in a dry tone, like he hadn't almost shot Jason's hand off.

"Fuck you."

Hood ignores him, crouching down to inspect Akihiro's corpse. Jason spits at him, but he dodges easily. He inspects Aki's claws, which had been out when he died, and said, "Hm. I didn't know Wolverine had a kid."

Then he looks up at Jason, who can hear the smirk in his voice, even if he can't see it through the Hood, "Don't worry, he'll be up and kicking soon enough."

"Fuck you! How can you say that? He's dead, you fucker! Your fucking goon shot him in the head!"

"That guy?" Hood points to the bloody mess Jason had left behind, "nah, he wasn't one of my guys. You did him in real good though. You two should come work for me, when he wakes up."

“This is all your fault! I'll kill you!” Jason screams, and _throws_ Akihiro's body at the Hood, snatching up the crowbar and rushing him all in one movement. Aki would have been proud, had he not been the corpse Jason had just thrown. But he can't think about that. Not until he has his revenge.

“No, I don't think you will.”

The Hood is fast – faster than Jason. He catches Akihiro neatly, ignoring the blood that spatters all over him, and reaches out with one hand to catch the end of the crowbar Jason is holding. There is a crackling sound, and electricity shoots out of his glove and down the metal bar, scrambling Jason's brains until his nerves spasm enough to loose his grip on the crowbar. His body sags, vision blacking out. He feels Hood's hand stop his fall, and the last thing he hears are the words,

“Fucking kids,” before he passes out.

xxx

When Jason wakes up, he doesn't know where he is. He's laying on a cot on a cement floor, somewhere underground, or at least some place that doesn't have windows. His clothes are gone; now he has on a green t-shirt that is a bit too small, and a pair of black sweat pants that are a bit too large. His hands are zip-tied behind his back, just tight enough that he'd have to break his wrists if he wanted to get out, and even then it'd be a trick.

Everything's sort of bright and fuzzy, and he blinks a few times before he can really make sense of his surroundings. He's in some sort of...hideout is really the only term for it. Except it's all wrong, because their bag of things is against the wall next to him – he knows its theirs because he's drawn all over it with a sharpie; he'd recognize it anywhere. And Akihiro's body is across the room on a stretcher, with an IV in his arm and an oxygen mask over his dead mouth, and the Hood has him hooked up to about half a dozen machines, and is taking readings, muttering to himself over the results.

“Hey! What the _fuck_ are you doing?”

“Taking measurements, before he wakes up.” Hood says, like it's the most natural thing in the world to be experimenting on a corpse.

Hood isn't wearing his helmet any more, it's off to the side on the desk, staring at him. He still has on a mask, rather like the ones that Batman's compatriots wear. It's red, and covers half his face, and has those disturbing white out lenses. The rest of his face looks – young. He really doesn't seem that much older than Jason. He has black hair with a shock of white on one side, and is rather short and lean, all muscle and bone. And he practically exudes an aura of insanity.

"He's not waking up; he's dead, you psychotic motherfucker!"

There is a sound, almost like a groan, from the corpse on the table.

Hood cocks his head to the side and says, "Are you sure about that?"

There is a definite groan this time. Jason's heart skips a beat. Akihiro is moving, as in not dead. And fuck. Maybe he's hallucinating but - Aki presses a hand to his head, groaning again.

Holy shit.

“A-Aki?”

“Uhn...mfl fla.”

“What?”

Hood snorts. “He just self-resurrected. Give the guy a chance to pull his brains together before you expect complete sentences.

Jason glares at him. He pushes himself to his feet and walks over to the bed, staring at Akihiro. The other man is breathing again, shallow, quick breaths by the sound of the oxygen mask. As Jason watches, Aki's claws slide back into his wrists, and the wounds slowly heal. His wounds have stopped bleeding and the hole in his head is much less pronounced. He can swear he can see Akihiro's skull knitting back together.

“His healing factor is significantly less than Wolverine's,” Hood says conversationally, “but it seems he is still capable of reviving after what would normally be a fatal wound.”

“You're insane.”

Hood's smile is sharp. “You're not the first person to say that.”

“Let me out.” Jason demands, yanking on the zip tie.

“Why?”

“So I can hold my boyfriend, you fucking douchebag.”

“I like you.” Hood says, and pulls a huge fucking knife out of his belt, cutting apart the zip tie.

Jason scowls at him, but steps closer and lays his hand on Aki's arm. He wants to hold him, but

at the same time he's worried about hindering his healing process.

“Aki?”

“...Jason?”

“Oh, holy shit. Aki. You're alive.”

“My head hurts.”

“Heh. Yeah, I bet it does.”

“I saved you though, right?”

“Yeah. You're the best.”

Hood makes a rude noise, “You guys are so cute it's disgusting.”

Akihiro's eyes flash open, and he sits up, his claws coming out again and he snarls at Red Hood. Then he keels over, and presses a hand to his head, which has to be pounding.

“What – where are we?”

“Hood's shitty lair.”

“Hey!” Hood snaps.

“Why?”

Jason turns to Hood. “Yeah. Why?”

Hood shrugs and leans back in his chair. “I've been looking to branch out. I think the son of Wolverine would be a nice addition. And you never go anywhere without the brat here, so I brought him along.”

“Wolverine is _nothing_ to me.” Aki snarls.

“I don't give a shit about whether or not you  _like_ the man. I'm more interested in the traits you inherited from him.”

“So you're offering – what, exactly?” Akihiro asks suspiciously. Jason approves. They've gotten as far as they have by trusting no one.

“I could use a bodyguard. I'm sure you'll need to be trained, but your powers could come in very handy.”

“I don't _want_ to be a killer.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. Did you have a long term plan that doesn't involve sleeping in subway cars and selling your boyfriend to the highest bidder? No? I thought not.”

Aki glares, but Hood just smirks.

“You'll be good at it. Besides, it'll make Bruce  _so angry_ .”

“Who the hell is Bruce?” Jason asks.

Red Hood's smile is almost diabolical. “Let me tell you a little story about Batman...”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos give me life!!
> 
> Also, Jason/Daken is apparently popular enough to have its own relationship tag? Where are you my lovelies? We must write *more.*


End file.
